Experts to begin documenting Kerala temple treasure

Thiruvananthapuram, July 31 (IANS) A Supreme Court appointed committee of experts will Monday begin documentation of the Rs.1 lakh crore treasure found in Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, a source said Sunday.

“The entire process would be videographed unlike the first stocktaking that was conducted and stopped early this month. The decision on whether to open vault B is yet to be arrived at,” said a source from the erstwhile royal family of Travancore.

Director General of the National Museum C.V. Ananda Bose, who heads the five-member committee, will arrive here Sunday to prepare an inventory of the treasure, the source said.

The first meeting would be held Monday to chart out the manner in which the estimate process has to resume, the source added.

An apex court bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik appointed two committees earlier this month.

Bose’s committee will videograph and photograph the articles found in the temple. Another three-member panel headed by Justice M.N. Krishnan will oversee the operations of this committee.

Stocktaking of the treasure started last month after the late T.P. Sunderarajan, a former Indian Police Services officer, approached the apex court alleging mismanagement of temple affairs.

Sunderarajan, 70, passed away July 17.

The temple is under the control of the royal family. It is administered by an executive committee in which the family is also represented.

The temple has six vaults, five of which have been opened on then orders of the Supreme Court.